Cable fire-escape



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet- 1.

J. J. OROS.

CABLE FIRE ESGAPE.

No. 308.323. Patented Nov. 18, 884.

5268868 Rigor. f I w 4,

3 55y Zia/Z4 J. J. OROS.

' APE. No. 808,323. Patented Nov. 18, 1884.

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ii II lll l il mum 'bc 4, J I I JOHN J. onos, or CHICAGO, ILLINoIs.

CABLE FIRE-ESCAPE."

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 308,323, dated November 18, 188%.

Application filed May 6, 1884. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. OROS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gable Fire-Escapes, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to obtain a fire-escape which is not liable to get out of order or be injured by the action of the flames or heat in case of fire in the building to which it is attached, or from other causes, a fire-escape that may be controlled to a certain extent by the person or persons using it to escape from the building, or by persons outside of the building, as by firemen; and a fire-escape that may be placed in front of any opening in the wall of the building to which itis attached at the will ofthe person or persons operating it from the outside of the building, and in being thus placed before any given opening all other openings in the wall may be avoided or passed around; and in like mannerwhen one or more persons are being oonr eyed by it to the ground 2 from any opening in the wall or front of the building they may be carried around or to one side of any and all other openings, thus avoiding' any flame, smoke, or heat which may be escaping from the building, as well as lessening the liability to danger and accident of or to the persons so being conveyed by being interfered with or'their attention attracted by persons standing at any of said openings; and,in addition to securing a fire-escape of the charr-acter above described, I desire to furnish means whereby any person in the building to which it is attached may be warned by an electric or' other signal of a fire in said building, and their attention directed to the fire-escape and the necessity of using the same.

I have illustrated my invention by the drawingsaccompanyingthisspecification,and forming a part thereof, in which- Figure l is an elevation of a building with my improved cable fire-escape attached there- 'to. Fig. 2 is a plan of a bracket with a pulley placedtherein, used for supporting the horizontal portion of the cable. Fig; 3 is a plan of the frame or block supporting or carrying a pulley, around which the hoisting-cable runs.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several views.

A is an endless cable. A passes around or under drum B and a a a (tor a a a a.

b is a detachable crank or wrench fitting over the end of the shaft of drum B.

. O is a bracket to be attached to the building, and'carrying pulley c. Bracket C may be dispensed with, or any desired number may be used.

D is a hook or frame or block attached to cable. A, and has pulley (I placed therein. Hook or frame D is of any suitable shape to pass readily over pulley e in bracket 0.

E is a cable, termed by me a hoisting-cable, passing through or around pulley d.

F is a basket, boat, or box, to be attached to one end of cable E.

G is a zinc or other metal cornice. Cornice G may be attached to brackets O or to the building. to protect cable A from flames or heat issuing from openings or windows in the walls of the building. a

H is a brick cornice, which may be placed on the building when in course of erection, serving the .same purpose as cornice G, and also acting as a rest for cable A, and a way or B is a drum. Cable track for frame or hook D. \Vhen cornice H is used, a pulley, h, should be placed in frame or hook D. I do not consider the precise form of frame or hook D, whether with or without pulley h placed therein, an essential part of my invention; nor do I consider bracket 0, with pulley c, cornice G, or cornice H necessary features of my invention, although they may all or any one thereof be used, if desired or preferred. Basket, box, or boat F may be permanently attached to hoisting-cable E, or it may be detachable therefrom and be brought to the building to which my improved cable fire-escape is attached by firemen or other persons.

I is a structure of any suitable material, intended as a storm and other protector, placed over drum B.

i K is a door or shutter in storm-protector I. L is a circuit breaker or closer, which is broken or closed'by the opening of door or shutter K.

pulleys M is a wire or other metal electric circuit leading into and throughout the building and to signals operated by an electric current passing over said wire M. It is obvious that,

if preferred, a hollow pipe or tube may be used in place of an electric circuit, and signals throughout the building operated in the ordinary manner by means of a current of air used in place of electric signals.

The method of operation of my improved cable fire-escape is as follows: In case of fire in the building to which it is attached door or shutter K is opened, an alarm or signal is at once given throughout the building by a current of electricity passing over wire M and through the various signals placed in said circuit, (formed by wire'M.) Crank,windlass, or key I) is placed on shaft of drum B. Basket, box, or boat F is attached to hoisting-cable E, and is raised to the height of any given floor in the building. Drum B is turned by wrench b, and the basket or boat F is thus brought in front of any desired opening or window, and any person or persons may step from said opening into basket or box F. Basket F may then be lowered immediately to the ground, or drum B may be turned in either direction, and the basket or boat F thus carried to either side of the opening and then lowered to the ground in the manner just described. The person or persons in the hasket F may lower it or assist in the lowering of it, or the movement of the basket may be entirely controlled by persons on theground-- as firemen-through hoisting-cable E.

If desired, additional frames or hooks D, each having a hoisting-cable, E, and basket'F attached thereto, may be carried by firemen or other persons seated in basket F to the horizontal portion of cable A, (as at a,) and hung or placed on the same, and thus any desired number of baskets or boats F may be easily and quickly put in operation. 7

It will be seen that by myimproved cable fire-escape any window or opening in the wall of the building may be reached, and in so reaching said window oropening any other window or opening from which flames, smoke, or heat may be issuing may be avoided or passed around. Cable A is composed of strands of wire suitably twisted, or of links, as preferred. Drum B may be dispensed with if the building is small, and cable A manipulated directly with the hands.

Having thus described my invention and the manner of its operation, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

, 1. In a fire-escape, the cable passing over or around pulleys attached or placed on the walls of abuilding, substantially as described, having a block or frame or hook attached thereto, with a second or hoisting cable passing through said block or frame or hook, in combination with a drum, by means of which motion may be imparted to said first-named cable, all arranged, operated, and controlled substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, in a fire escape, of a cable passing over or around a drum, and pulleys attached to or placed on or in the walls of a building, said cable having a block or frame or hook attached thereto, with a second .or hoisting cable passing through said frame or block, and abasket. box, or platform,which may be attached to said hoisting-cable, all arranged, operated, and controlled substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

3. The combination, in a fire escape, of a cable arranged as described, a drum by which motion may'be given to said cable, and a box or other structure placed over said drum,having a door or shutter placed therein, a wire running from said box into the building, and a circuit-closer (so called) placed in said boX, all substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

4:. The combination, in a fire-escape, of cable A, pulleys a a a aand ct a, drum B, wrench b, frameD, cable E, basket orbox F, structure or box I, shutter or door K, circuit-closer L, and wire M, all arranged, operated, and controlled substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

JOHN J. OROS.

Witnesses:

GEO. P. KNowLEs, I. W. COREY. 

